The Crank File: What I’m Reading This Week – April 11, 2018

Greetings comic book fans and welcome to another episode of the Crank File. Every Wednesday is new comic book day and on Tuesdays I like to spotlight some of the stuff I’ll be checking out.

Here’s what I’m reading this week:

The Top of the Pile: Thanos #18

Publisher: MarvelWords: Donny CatesArt: Geoff Shaw

What it is: AT LONG LAST…THANOS WINS! When there is nothing left to kill, Death comes…to the one who loves her most – KING THANOS. How will the fantastic saga of Thanos, King Thanos and the Cosmic Ghost Rider end?

Why we love it: The can’t miss conclusion to Donny Cates and Geoff Shaws’ exceptional Thanos run drops this week. It’s Thanos vs Thanos and the winner marries Death. Sounds like one of those, you win but you actually lose, type scenarios.

The Mainstream One: Captain America #700 (Alex Ross 1:50 variant)

Publisher: MarvelWords: Mark WaidArt: Chris Samnee

What it is: OUT OF TIME CONCLUSION! Cap is finally ‘OUT OF TIME’! Frozen in time, awakened in a decimated future and once again a man out of his era, there is only one way for Steve Rogers to restore order and rebuild civilization-and that’s to rule it as King Captain America! No dream, no hoax, no lie, this IS Cap and this IS happening, believe it or not! PLUS: Mark Waid delivers an untold tale from Captain America’s past, featuring the classic artwork of Jack Kirby! Rated T+

Why we like it: Happy 700th Cap. To celebrate Marvel’s making you king of future world. A monarchy seems like the kind of thing that Captain America would be opposed to, so I expect his reign to be a short one.

The Indie One: Gideon Falls #2

Publisher: ImageWords: Jeff LemireArt: Andea Sorrentino

What it is: The brand-new supernatural mystery series by the acclaimed team of JEFF LEMIRE and ANDREA SORRENTINO (Old Man Logan, Green Arrow) continues. The mysteries of the ‘Black Barn’ heighten as the reclusive Norton begins to unravel new clues just as a murder spree breaks out in the town of Gideon Falls. But how is it all connected?! The puzzle pieces begin to fall.

Why we like it: Issue 1 of Gideon Falls was a very strong premiere for the new series by creative superstars Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino. Part urban horror, part rural mystery, Gideon Falls touches on themes of madness, obsession, religion and good old fashioned ghosties.

The #1 One: Immortal Men #1

Publisher: DCWords: James Tynion IVArt: Jim Lee, Scott Williams

What it is: ‘THE END OF FOREVER’ part one! There is a secret history to the DC Universe of heroes who have protected humanity from the shadows since the dawn of time…and who can live forever. Enter the Immortal Men! The team, headed by the Immortal Man, has waged a secret war against the House of Conquest for countless years-but Conquest has dealt a devastating blow. When their base of operations, known as the Campus, is savagely attacked, the Immortal Men must seek out their last hope-an emerging metahuman known as Caden Park! Caden’s emerging powers may be able to ensure the Immortal Men’s survival-but will Conquest get to him first? RATED T+

Why we like it: DC’s New Age of Heroes has been a bit of a mixed bag, but there have been some positive standouts. I really like the creative team on this title, and I hope Tynion and Lee stick around for a while.

The One I’m Buying for the Cover: Supergirl #20 (Artgerm Cover B variant)

What it is: Supergirl must fight both Mokkari and the out-of-dimension Viking Judge to save Director Bones from the fury of the Viking’s magical ax! Meanwhile, with Director Bones out of the picture, Cameron Chase and Lar-On must break into the D.E.O. to save Veritas before the clock counts down to zero and the psycho-redactor erases her memories forever!

Why we like it: Based on Michael Turner’s Supergirl costume design, issue 20 is my new favorite from the run. I believe that this is the last cover B that Stanley Artgerm Lau is doing on Supergirl, and its an absolute beauty. But don’t fret, Artgerm will keep the cover B’s moving as it has been announced that he will be doing B covers on Joelle Jones’ Catwoman series launching in July.